Bone Appétit
by Radar Love
Summary: Hao cooks dinner for Yoh. AU


He was unusually hungry that day. The unusually hungry boy in question was currently gazing blankly out his kitchen window, in deep thought, as rain fell softly from the stormy gray clouds outside. He absentmindedly twirled a large kitchen knife with his right hand. The cutting board in front of him was strewn with the slimy guts and innards of the helpless tomatoes he had just been butchering, his knife and hands dripping with their orangey-red tomato blood; bits of tomato seed crusted underneath his fingernails.

His twin brother had come to visit him today. He'd picked up his twin at the train station, and they had caught up in the taxi on the way home. However, the train ride had been long, and upon arriving at the long-haired boy's small abode, his twin had retired to take a short nap, and he was now here in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the two of them. Hao sighed wistfully. It had been so long since he had had a meal that didn't leave him with an empty feeling, as if he hadn't eaten at all.

Hao started and looked up as he heard his brother enter the kitchen, giving him a smile before returning to chopping. "Finally awake, hm? Sleep well?"

Yoh nodded, gazing around at the small but spotless kitchen, and at Hao, who was becoming increasingly covered in tomato. "I didn't know you could cook," he commented, stifling a yawn behind his hand.

Hao simply shrugged. "I've learned a lot of things," he mumbled vaguely, his expression preoccupied. "Dinner will be ready in just a moment," he added after a few second's pause.

"Do you need any help?"

"No," Hao stated firmly. "I'll take care of everything, dear brother. You don't have to do anything but sit and wait." He waved the slimy knife in the direction of the dining room a tad too enthusiastically.

Yoh raised an eyebrow, slightly perplexed by his brother's strange behavior, but grinned at him cheerfully anyway and left Hao to his own devices in the kitchen.

-  
A short while later, Hao sauntered into the dining room. He set a plate of food down in front of Yoh before sitting down across from him at the small table. He stared at Yoh expectantly, a peculiar glint in his eyes. Yoh stared back, suspicious.

"Um... aren't you going to eat?" Yoh inquired.

"Don't worry about me," Hao replied, hastily averting his stare.

The shorter-haired boy, rather than being reassured, now looked fairly distressed. "Hao... you've been acting odd ever since you started cooking. Are you sick?"

"I- huh?" Hao spluttered, momentarily thrown off. "No. No, it's nothing like that..."

"Then what's wrong? Maybe I can help you."

"Oh yes... I think that you could be quite capable of solving my, ah... problem," Hao murmured. He rose from his chair and moved to stand behind Yoh's, placing his hands tightly around his brother's shoulders, almost hugging him. He felt the younger boy stiffen, but refused to let go. "I've been waiting so long for this," he breathed softly, stroking his fingers along the side of Yoh's face, his expression hungry and excited.

Yoh flinched and pushed the older boy's hands away as he stood up, backing away. "Waiting for what, exactly?"

"We're going to become one," Hao replied with a cryptic smile, advancing upon the other boy. Before Yoh had time to comprehend the meaning of the statement, Hao had lunged at him and they fell to the floor, Hao quickly pinning Yoh's futilely struggling body beneath him.

"Stop moving," Hao hissed, his normally attractive face became deranged. He leaned down and sank his teeth deep into the other boy's shoulder, cruelly ripping off the flesh, almost revealing the bone underneath. Hao chewed voraciously, savoring the divine taste of the flesh, the other boy's blood the perfect dressing for his grotesque meal. Unheeding of the younger boy's agonized screams, he continued to devour the boy savagely, becoming more and more frenzied.

Yoh continued to struggle loudly, but after a short while he grew too weak from the heavy blood loss and shock. He slumped hopelessly against the wall, shaking, his breath short, his skin clammy and pale. His body was brutally mangled. It was a wonder he was still clinging to consciousness. He shut his eyes; the pain seemed to dull the longer it went on. "Hao," he called softly, trying to gain the other boy's attention.

"Shhhh," Hao crooned, running his fingers gently through Yoh's hair. It might have been a compassionate gesture, had he need been gnawing on one of Yoh's bones at the time,, a vague, bloody grin adorning his features.

"Why?" the dying boy uttered.

"I was hungry," Hao sighed, licking his fingers. He carefully pulled Yoh close to him, cradling him with one arm. He began to stroke the younger boy's hair again. "Don't worry, dear brother," he began soothingly. "Now we'll always be together. It's for the best."


End file.
